The production of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon is now well known in the art. Such linear alternating polymers, also known as polyketones or polyketone polymers, are of the general repeating formula ##STR1## wherein A is a moiety derived from at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon polymerized through the ethylenic linkage thereof. Such polymers are typically produced by contacting the monomeric reactants under polymerization conditions in the presence of a liquid reaction diluent and a catalyst composition formed from a compound of palladium, nickel or cobalt, the anion of a strong non-hydrohalogenic acid and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus, nitrogen or sulfur. It is also known to conduct the polymerization in the gas phase, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,876 and it is also known to use a supported or heterogeneous catalyst composition, e.g., EP-A-04228.
Although the conventional, liquid-phase processes do efficiently produce polyketone polymer, there are some difficulties with those processes. In most cases a certain amount of reactor fouling takes place where polymer product adheres to the internal surfaces of the reactor as well as to the surfaces of any stirring means employed in the reactor. In some cases, the reactor fouling can be severe. One solution to the fouling problem is realized through the use of heterogeneous, supported catalyst compositions such as the catalysts of EP-A--404228. Such catalyst compositions are supported on insoluble supports having an average particle diameter of less than 300 .mu. and typically on the order of 100 .mu.. That particle size approximates the size of the polymer product particles, however, and separation of polymer and supported catalyst composition by physical methods can be difficult. Moreover, a relatively high proportion of catalyst residues is found in the polymer product which produces purification problems as well as representing loss of catalyst composition components. It would be of advantage to provide an improved process for the production of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one olefinically unsaturated hydrocarbon which employs somewhat different supported catalyst compositions and provides process advantages over known processes which use supported catalyst compositions.